


Hair

by dapper_comedy



Category: Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 08:53:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14589456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapper_comedy/pseuds/dapper_comedy
Summary: Rapunzel has gone under a lot of trauma, there's no mistake for that. But now she's with her family, and Eugene, and Cassandra. Everything should be okay now. But she still can't get the feeling of Gothel's hand tenderly stroking her hair. Is that all she is?





	Hair

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this after Before Ever After came out, so it might seem a bit dated, but I'd already posted this somewhere else and figured it'd get more attention here. Moving on-

 

_"You know why we stay up in this tower?"_

_I know, but-_

_"That's right! To keep you-_

_No, please, Mother-_

_"-Safe, and sound-"_

_Please, please, not my hair, let go of my hair, why do you cradle it so lovingly more than me, please, Mother, please-_

_"-_ **_Here_ ** _."_

"Sunshine?"

Rapunzel gasped, looking up, eyes wide in surprise. Where was she? What was going on? What-

The concerned chestnut eyes of Eugene Fitzherbert met the alarmed olive green of Rapunzel, princess of Corona, and current extreme problem. Looking around, the princess slowly began to take in her surroundings, any recollection of even stepping into the room fuzzy and blurred in her memory. They were in the throne room, her mother and father, who had both been previously sitting in their respective thrones, now straightened, and standing to their feet in worry. To her right was Eugene, sweet, sweet Eugene. The man she had fallen in love with, and even proposed to her. And when she reluctantly declined, he understood. He trusted her and understood. For a few moments, Rapunzel's heartbeat steadied slightly at that thought. And, to her left was Cassandra. Cassandra?

Oh yes! Her handmaiden. That's right, how could she have forgotten? They were good friends now, and Cassandra had done a lot for Rapunzel, from helping her prepare for her coronation, to even sneaking her out. And now, even to this, helping her hold her-

Her... hair.

The space between Rapunzel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. No, that's... no, something was wrong. She didn't have long hair anymore, she didn't carry that, quite literally, heavy curse. It was cut, Eugene had cut it, she could remember that clearly. It was like... freedom. The first breeze of fresh air on your face in the morning. It was as if she could breathe again. So why was it sprouting from her head once more?

"Hey, stay with us Sunshine. You doin okay? Something's wrong, isn't there? Do you wanna leave this for another time?" Eugene's voice cut through her thoughts, snatching Rapunzel's attention. She mustered up a smile, and was just about to say something, when Cassandra's voice hissed.

"Let her talk, Fitzherbert, she hasn't even come back from her daydream spell." Looking over to Rapunzel, Cassandra gave her a cheeky smile, though her voice held a slightly annoyed, or at least exasperated tone, "Hey, Raps, you there? As much as I know you wanna leave this conversation for another time, we still need to figure out how to handle your hair problem." With this, Cassandra's arms raised, a little gesture to the piles of hair she carried to ease the load.

Once more to her right, Rapunzel could catch the faint, amusing mutters of Eugene, "Yeah, okay Ice Queen, but I still think the braid's a good idea. Worked last time. If your suggestion's to give her the world's biggest afro, then-" However they were quickly diminished by a sharp glance from Cassandra.

Rapunzel's heartbeat jumped in speed. Her hair, it was always her hair, wasn't it? It was her hair when she was born, with Gothel, during her adventure, and even now. Even when she had been released from that terrible...  _spell_ , it came back, determined to haunt her. Why? Why, why, why why, WHY-?

Her mother stepped towards her, smiling. The Queen of Corona. That's right,  _she_ was her mother. Not Gothel. And she definitely would never become like Gothel. No, her mother loved her. She loved _her_ , and could see more than just a key for eternal youth, and health.  _Plus est en vous_ , there is more in you, that's what she said. And she meant it. 

So, as Queen Arianna of Corona approached her daughter, her smile brightened, and held out her hands.

"Well, if it helps at all, dear, I think you look just as beautiful as I saw you when you were just a baby. Blonde suits you! And I'll admit, during those 18 years, I wondered everyday how you looked, and how you were. I'm still baffled as to how you even walked around with all this-"

Oh no.

"-Hair!" And with that, the Queen, as if making a point, held a long lock of Rapunzel's hair, giggling slightly as she did so. Rapunzel knew it was meant to be humorous. She knew. So why couldn't she laugh? 

_"I love you very much dear."_

_I love you more._

_"I love you-"_

_Oh. No. No, Mother, please, why is it always... always..._

_"-Most." Gothel kissed her hair._

_... My hair...?_

_"I missed this." Eugene touched her hair._

_"Your hair! Your hair! Your hair! Your hair! Your hair!"_

_Please, please, please, I'm begging you, please-!_

"Rapunzel?"

Suddenly, the princess snatched her hair from her mother, gripping it as if it were her only rope to life. Her mother blinked in surprise, and lifted her hand. Rapunzel hurriedly stepped back, her chest beginning to heave as her breathing quickened. Her eyes darted around the room. It felt smaller, or maybe the people felt larger. Rapunzel's gaze landed on Cassandra, her face slowly growing creased in worry, and her hand feebly reaching out to help from underneath the piles of hair.

"No! Stop! Don't touch it! Let it go! Now, let it go!" Rapunzel's voice cried, her pitch loud and high with growing panic. In an instant Cassandra dropped the hair, raising her hands as if in surrender.

It still didn't help. She couldn't breathe, why couldn't she breathe? Why was it so hard? Everything was caught in her throat, her tears, her cries, her breathing,  _god_ , her breathing. Everything was so... stuffy, even in the vast throne room of Corona. She was hyperventilating, unbeknownst to her, and slowly stepping back.   
Queen Arianna made a move towards her daughter, her face contorted in pain only a mother could understand. Her daughter was breaking down right before her and she had done something so triggering to cause it- how could she not do something?

However, Rapunzel let out a cry, and her steps back quickened, even more so as she saw her father, King Frederick, quickly walk forward. She needed to get out, she needed air. Since when did the throne room seem so small? Since when did her parents feel so titan-like? Cassandra was a pillar compared to before.  
Eugene rose an arm in front of the queen, and she looked at him in bewilderment, "Eugene, my daughter is-!"

"I know, Your Highness, and I know you mean well, but there's a reason why she's backing up." He spoke quietly, his voice soft. Queen Arianna blinked once in astonishment, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Protests built up in her chest, a desperation to give her daughter the comfort she'd wished she could have given to her in years past, and now when she had the chance, she could hardly step towards her. But Eugene had a point, and as much as every muscle in her body screamed otherwise, she nodded in understanding, and exhaled slowly, "Then is there anything I can do?"

Eugene took a deep breath. Though he seemed the picture of composure, inside he was... scared. His mind searched for reasons, for ideas, for thoughts. It tore him up inside to see his beloved this way. He took another deep breath.

"Cassandra." He said, and the handmaiden turned to him. She was quite clearly worried, but not only that, she was grieved by the fact she could do nothing. Her muscles, her skill, her weapons, everything useless in such a situation, and even her words, though as brash as they could often be, even when she tried to reach out with words, her friend's panic seemed deaf to any of them. And although she didn't like it, she knew that Eugene would be trusted with this. It made sense, at the very least- the king, the queen, even herself- they were still quite new in Rapunzel's life, whereas she'd had an entire journey itself of trust with Eugene. If anyone were allowed to instruct others in this situation, it was him.  
"I need you to get water. Water, a-and a blanket. Yeah. And be quick about it."

Biting back any protests, Cassandra nodded quickly, and rushed out the room from the back exits.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel was still backing up, clutching at her hair. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and it only caused her loved-ones more heartache. She pulled at her hair, suddenly letting out a cry of desperate frustration, causing the king and queen to jump slightly, igniting their parental instincts. The pull Rapunzel felt in her scalp hurt, but only a little bit, and this riled her up even further. The poor princess pulled again, and cried out again, this time in shock as she tripped over her hair, stumbling to the ground.

"Woah, hey-!" Eugene blurted out, beginning to make his way towards the princess. But her feet scrambled against the floor, faster, farther away from these people that surely wanted her hair, nothing but her hair, it was always, ALWAYS her damned hair-!

And then her back hit the throne room doors.

Tears were running down her face now, and her hyperventilating continued. Sobs broke out, wracking through her chest, and in a watery, anguished voice, she let out weak, wordless cries and screams. The world began to buzz, lights flashed in front of her eyes, her head- oh, her poor head, it hurt, and felt so light...

A voice broke out through the panic.

"Hey. Hey. Rapunzel. Hey, look at me. Look at me."

And Rapunzel grimaced, curling her knees to her chest, and looked. 

There was Eugene Fitzherbert, kneeling a good distance ahead of her, his head dipped in concern, hoping to meet her gaze. His voice was steady, and calm, and his hands were on the floor, but carefully set away from any of her hair that pooled across the ground. Eugene's eyes were firmly fixed to hers.

"Do you know who I am?"

Rapunzel nodded.

"Okay. My name is Eugene Fitzherbert, right?"

She nodded again.

"Good. Can you breathe through your nose? Slowly."

Rapunzel's face screwed up, and hastily she clamped her hands over her mouth. Her breathing stopped altogether, and shakily, she inhaled through her nose.

"Good." Eugene offered a weak smile, and continued, "One... two... three... four... Can you hold it for seven?"

She shook her head, and a muffled sound of despair escaped behind her hands. Eugene gently shushed her.

"Sh, sh, sh... It's okay. Hey, it's okay! We'll hold for six."

Slowly, he counted to six. And Rapunzel slowly exhaled through her mouth to eight.  This repeated for several more tries. Breathe in for four. Hold for six. Exhale for eight. And at last, her breathing steadied. Her tears, however, had not.

Eugene paused, searching his mind for as to what to do next. Tentatively, he raised a hand slightly from the ground, "Is it okay if I hold your hand-?"

"No! Please, no-" Rapunzel blurted out, her voice still watery and though it was not as panicked as before, it still held its desperate tone.

"Okay. Okay, that's okay. It's okay. Do you want me to stay here? Can I come closer?" He asked, his hand lowering, and his voice calm, "Do you want your parents to leave?"

The king began to protest, before his wife laid a hand on his arm. Frederick looked at Arianna, his face contorted in a pain that his wife knew far too well, and Arianna understood. After eighteen years, he was left to being asked to leave the room as his daughter fell apart right in front of him? It ripped his heart out.  
"Please, Frederick. Whatever she needs. Just for now. Please."  
And the king reluctantly nodded.

Rapunzel glanced at her parents over Eugene's shoulder, a little ways behind him. Slowly she nodded her head, and wordlessly, after a quick exchange of glances, the royal couple left the room, not without longing looks toward their daughter. But Eugene stayed where he was.

The moment they left, the princess let out a slow breath, her body convulsing slightly as she shakily inhaled once more, just as slowly as before. Silence stretched between the two, until Eugene asked, still in his quiet voice: "Do you think you're calmer now? Do you want to talk about it?"

Rapunzel paused. She knew Eugene would wait for her response, and so, she took the time to focus on her breathing. In... out. In... out. She could feel her chest rise and fall, and slowly, she let out a shuddering sigh.  
"I'm c-calmer now. Th-thank you." The princess whispered at last. She sniffed, and wiped her nose in a very un-princess-like manner. Eugene smiled, both in amusement and relief. His shoulders visibly sagged, and he slowly sat himself in a more comfortable position, rubbing his knees that grew numb and sore in his kneeling. 

"Cassandra will be coming back. I told her to get some water and a blanket. Is that okay?" 

Rapunzel nodded, keeping her eyes to her hands, curled at her chest.

"Do you want her to come in the room? I can meet her halfway if you want."

Rapunzel shook her head, "No... it, uh..." She sniffed, and wiped her nose again, "It's okay. Sh-She can come inside."

Eugene smiled and nodded. Silence once more stretched out between them, broken once again as the former-thief spoke up.

"Do you want to tell me what happened? Or do you not want to talk about it?"

Once more did the shaken princess pause, and think. Her thoughts were slow, and it took a little while for her to speak. 

"I just... my hair," Rapunzel started, and picked at several locks from a bundle at her side, "Gothel... Sh-She used to always say... She  _said_ she loved me. And-And I know that that wasn't true- I mean, it was, but not... Me. She didn't love me. I was just... a carrier. A liability that she couldn't get rid of b-because I was connected to this... to my hair."

Eugene nodded slowly, his lips tightly drawn in a frown at the mention of Rapunzel's previous captor.  It took everything he had to not wretch and gag as he used to do whenever Rapunzel mentioned her- it was a joke before. Gothel disgusted him, and she knew that. And Rapunzel would laugh, and giggle when he made his puking noises, but never really realized he meant every bit of it.

"And, sh-she  _said_ she loved me, but... Even with the hugs, and the gifts, and the words,  _god_ , th-the words? The words always... fooled me, they always fooled me. But... she'd brush my hair... everyday, she brushed my hair. It was her f-favorite thing to do. Of course it was. And she'd kiss the top of my head- my hair, she kissed my hair. She cradled it, and ran h-her hands through it and- God, you know I can still feel it?" Rapunzel dipped her hands through the top of her hair, and gripped it tightly into fists, "Even now, six months later and I just got my hair back but the first thing- the first thing I could feel- it was like ice down my back, Eugene,  _ice_ -!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Her beloved's voice cut through hers, and he looked her straight in the eye, "Breathe. It's okay. Breathe. One... two... three... four..."

Rapunzel breathed in and out, until she regained a steady beat. She smiled halfheartedly in thanks, and Eugene returned it.

"She never... She never really loved me." Rapunzel said in a soft, quiet voice, "Even then I knew. It was just my hair." Her face twisted slightly in despair, as she began to weep anew, and her voice was soft, strained, "It was just my h-hair."

Eugene looked on, pain clear on his own features, and he lifted a hand, silently asking permission if it was alright to touch her. Rapunzel looked up and nodded, folding her knees beneath herself and holding her arms out pleadingly. In an instant she found herself enveloped in Eugene's arms, though he kept his hands on her shoulders, and did his best not to touch her hair. 

"I-I'm just- I'm just... A-After you cut my hair, after everything was okay-  _I_ was okay. I w-was better than okay, I was free. And e-even though I knew my parents would love me as their daughter, and n-not some object, not some... some... treasure m-meant to be locked away... I was so relieved that I didn't have my long hair. It was like... I was guaranteed of happiness. That no one c-could use me because there was nothing to t-take anymore."

Eugene nodded again, and Rapunzel could feel him keeping his head straight, doing his best to keep even his chin from touching the top of her hair. Gratitude warmed her chest, and a little weak smile flickered across her lips, before she continued.

"But... it came back. E-Even after everything, it came back. And I can't even cut it away now!" Her tearful voice rose, full of distress and bits of anger, "I can't cut it away! I'm stuck with all of.... This!" She clutched at the hair at her sides, raising it in angry and exasperated fists, "And even with Gothel gone- what now? What if someone else finds out about the magic? What if someone gets hurt? What if my  _parents_ find out?! God, Eugene, it'll be Gothel all over again I c-can't go through that again, I can't, I can't-!"

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey hey- back with me, Sunshine. Back with me."

Rapunzel brought her hands to her face, closing her eyes and letting out a slow sigh. She nodded, and Eugene continued, his voice stern.

"We both know that your parents love you. And I mean  _you_. They've been reunited with their daughter after eighteen terrible... terrible years. Years without you. Your mother cried when she first saw you, Rapunzel. Do you remember that? All three of you collapsed to the ground while you hugged one another. And your mom even brought me in the group hug!"

Rapunzel let out a choked chuckle. Eugene smiled, and continued, slowly withdrawing, and looked at her, where her eyes would be.

"If you trust me... then you'll trust my word. And my solemn word is, Rapunzel, that your parents love you. Magical hair or not." The princess's hand flew from her face, an argument on the tip of her tongue, before Eugene held up his hands, cutting her off, "And I know! I know... that you can't believe that all in one gulp. I know it's gonna take a while for you to... believe in that. In your parents. Even Cassandra. Heck, even  _me_. And that's okay. No one's asking you to do it in a hurry, especially not me. But I said before- I'll be patient. And I know your parents, and Cassandra will be too. Because that's how people are with the people they love."

Rapunzel sniffled once more, and pulled at her gown, wiping away her tears, before giving the love of her life, her best friend, a shaky smile.

"Thank you, Eugene." She said softly, "For everything."

"Is it okay if I come in?" A voice called from the far back of the throne room. The couple looked up, before Cassandra peeked out from the back doorways, worry etched across her face, a glass of water in one hand, and a blanket in the other.

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay. Things are... a lot better now." Eugene called. And as Cassandra passed the water, and as Rapunzel slowly drank, Eugene sighed. Exhaustion slumped down on his shoulders, and the strain of keeping calm began to show.

"Okay Sunshine. You've had... a long afternoon. Why don't you get a little shut-eye, and we'll continue where we left off after you wake up, huh?" 

The princess looked up over the rim of her glass, still drinking her water, and furrowed her eyebrows. Pulling away, she began, "I don't want to leave Mom and Dad worried, I should at least-"

Cassandra spoke up, smiling gently, "It'll be okay, Raps. I'm sure the king and queen will understand. I'll tell 'em you're resting. I'm sure they'll want to talk to you, but for now they'll both agree that you need the rest. These kind of things are draining." 

Eugene let out a sigh of relief as Rapunzel eventually nodded, her eyes beginning to droop in exhaustion. Even Cassandra looked tired, but her eyes were full of a relief of her own. Smiling, Rapunzel's beloved took the blanket and wrapped it across her shoulders.  
"Does the pwecious pwincess want me to carry her to her qwarters?" He asked, rubbing his nose against hers as he spoke. Rapunzel giggled, and Cassandra rolled her eyes, but in the end, the "pwecious pwincess" nodded, and Eugene lifted her up in his arms. Nuzzling against his chest, Rapunzel exhaled slowly, melting into his warmth.

"Well, Mistress Ice Queen, my lovely dearest and I shall be off!" Eugene said in a flamboyant manner, resulting in a slap on the head from Cassandra, and another laugh from Rapunzel.

But, as Eugene walked down the hall, with a blonde stream of hair trailing behind him, Rapunzel, Princess of Corona, closed her eyes. Yes, it would take a while to truly believe what Eugene said. But as long as she surrounded herself with people that truly loved her.... her parents, Cassandra, Eugene, Pascal, even her kingdom.... maybe the path to that goal wouldn't be so bad. 


End file.
